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In the hours after David Alex Villegas on charges of kidnapping, dozens of people took to social media to discuss the allegations facing the borough resident also known as rap artist Skinny From the 9.

SOMERVILLE – In the hours after David Alex Villegas was arrested on charges of kidnapping, dozens of people took to social media to discuss the allegations facing the borough resident also known as rap artist skinnyfromthe9.

On Friday, David Alex Villegas, 22; his father, David Andres Villegas, 42; his brother, Joshua Villegas, 20, all of Somerville, and Troy Warren, 28, of Newark, were arrested, according to Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson and Somerville Police Chief Dennis Manning.

The four were arrested after they allegedly kidnapped and assaulted a 21-year-old borough man on Thursday after convincing him to go on a drive with them.

As the vehicle began driving off, David Villegas, grabbed the victim's cell phone and allegedly began punching him with a closed fist in the stomach. The victim told police he was driven around for about an hour and continuously beaten by Warren while the other three occupants yelled profanities at him and also struck him.

They were arrested after police responded to the Villegas' home on Davenport Street, two blocks away from Somerville High School, after a 911 call. Police did not provide a motive for the alleged incident.

On Facebook, under the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office post about the rap artist's arrest, Facebook users left comments such as, "weren't you just telling me how great of a kid" Villegas was?

Other users, though, lobbed insults and called Villegas names.

In another post on Facebook, users commented that Villegas was "passing out" $100 bills at the Bridgewater Commons mall and "buying all those sneakers for kids at the mall."

David Alex Villegas is also known as rap artist skinnyfromthe9, the prosecutor's office confirmed. According to published reports he was born in Florida and grew up in New Jersey. Villegas has more than 500,000 Instagram followers. Earlier this year, nj.com obtained video showing the rapper and his associates beating a man in a store, according to the video.

In another news report, published by xxlmag.com, Villegas is caught on video shouting in an argument with another rap artist in the food court at Bridgewater Commons mall. The video depicts a heated scene that almost ends in an altercation.

On social media, though, the younger Villegas paints his past and upbringing as tumultuous and difficult.

In January, Villegas took to Twitter and said, "I was the kid in high school that walked in the hallways at passing time all by myself."

I was the kid in high school that walked in the hallways at passing time all by myself. Nobody took my music serious I wasn’t invited anywhere & made fun of by everyone ... NOW I GOT LABELS FLYING ME OUT & EVERYONE WANTING TO SIGN THE KID

He said nobody took his music serious and he wasn’t invited anywhere while also being "made fun of by everyone." Now, however, he said he has offers of record labels and his songs garner millions of views online.

In perhaps his most popular song, titled "Back When I was Broke," Villegas details his past struggles.

"Where were you, when I was trying to make a move. Man I knew I had the juice, I ain't never go to school," Villegas raps in the song, which has 4.5 million views on YouTube. "Because I knew that if I believed in myself, that I could make all my dreams turn to wealth. It's too late now, I don’t need your loving."

According to a feature article on xxlmag.com, as a child, Villegas was "shuttled about, coping with poverty, homelessness and parental figures doing hard time. Naturally, he found solace in hip-hop."